REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on the progress made in the European Union in combating trafficking in human beings (Fifth Report)
Date: 2025-01-20
Institutions: Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, data collection, data transmission, fight against crime, help for victims, human rights, organised crime, prostitution, slavery, trafficking in human beings

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 20.1.2025  COM(2025) 8 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on the progress made in the European Union in combating trafficking in human beings (Fifth Report) {SWD(2025) 4 final}  
 
 
1.  INTRODUCTION 

Trafficking in human beings is a crime that devastates individuals’ lives, depriving them 
of dignity, freedom and fundamental rights. According to Europol, 55 of the reported most 
threatening criminal networks engage in trafficking in human beings as (one of) their main 
activity(-ies)1. Furthermore, the 2024 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons2 revealed 
that 74% of traffickers operate as groups and networks loosely connected in a business-
type criminal relation or as structured criminal organisations, highlighting the predominant 
role of organised crime groups in trafficking activities. Trafficking is also often linked to 
other  crimes,  such  as  drugs  trafficking,  migrant  smuggling,  organised  property  crime, 
money laundering and document fraud. 

Moreover,  trafficking  in  human  beings  constitutes  the  second  most  widespread  illicit 
economy in the world3. The annual profit generated by forced labour globally is estimated 
at USD 236 billion annual profit for traffickers, representing almost USD 10 000 profit per 
victim.  The  exploitation  of  victims  in  Europe  and  Central Asia  is  the  most  profitable, 
reaching  USD  20  000  profit  per  victim  a  year4.  While  the  profits  are  high  and  have 
increased by 37% since 2014, the risks for perpetrators remain low.  

A fundamental challenge brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and further exacerbated in 
its  aftermath  is  the  shift  of  trafficking  in  human  beings  into  the  digital  space. 
Difficulties  continue  to  be  encountered  in  the  detection  and  referral  of  victims  for 
assistance and support.  

The  EU  legal  framework  on  trafficking  in  human  beings  is  anchored  in  the  Anti-
Trafficking Directive5, which was modified by Directive 2024/1712/EU6 (hereafter “the 
amended Directive”) and entered into force on 14 July 2024. The modifications introduce 
stronger rules to fight trafficking in human beings and provide reinforced tools for public 
authorities to  investigate and prosecute  trafficking  offences.  It  introduces new forms of 
exploitation and makes sexual exploitation committed online an aggravating circumstance. 
It also provides for better support to victims and is one of the major actions foreseen in the 
EU  Strategy  on  combating  trafficking  in  human  beings  2021-20257  (hereafter  “the 
Strategy”), which includes a comprehensive approach built on four pillars8. 

In accordance with Article 20 of the Directive, with the support of the EU Anti-Trafficking 
Coordinator (EU ATC), every two years the Commission reports on the progress made in 
the fight against trafficking in human beings. This report is based on contributions from 
Member  States  through  the  EU  Network  of  National  Coordinators  and  Rapporteurs, 

1 Decoding the EU’s most threatening criminal networks | Europol (europa.eu). 
2 2024 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 
3 For more information please see The Global Organized Crime Index 2023 | Global Initiative. 
4 For more information please see Profits and poverty: The economics of forced labour | International Labour 
Organization (ilo.org). 
5 Directive 2011/36/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2011 on preventing and 
(OJ  L  101,  15.4.2011, 
combating 
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2011/36/oj)  
6  Directive  (EU)  2024/1712  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  13  June  2024  amending 
Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims 
(OJ L, 2024/1712, 24.6.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1712/oj).  
7 EU Strategy on Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings 2021-2025. 
8 (i) reducing demand that fosters trafficking in human beings (ii) breaking the business model of traffickers 
(iii) protecting and empowering victims and (iv) promoting international cooperation.  

in  human  beings  and  protecting 

its  victims 

trafficking 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
independent  bodies,  EU Agencies9,  members  of  the  EU  Civil  Society  Platform  against 
trafficking in human beings, as well as other documents from EU Agencies, EU institutions 
and International Organisations.  

The report i) identifies key trends, ii) outlines the main anti-trafficking actions from 2021 
to 2024 and iii) provides an analysis of statistics for the period of 2021-2022, which is 
included  in  a  Staff  Working  Document10.  The  data  used  in  the  report  was  gathered  by 
EUROSTAT  from  all  the  Member  States  via  the  national  statistical  authorities  and  is 
available in Eurostat’s database under ‘Crime and criminal justice’ statistics11. 

2.  TRENDS IN TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS IN THE EU  

2.1. Victims (sex, age, citizenship) 

During the reporting period of 2021-202212, 17 248 victims of trafficking were registered 
in the EU.  This represents an increase by 20.5% compared to the 2019-2020 period (14 
311)13.  In  2022  alone,  the  number  of  registered  victims  was  10  093,  a  41%  increase 
compared to 2021 (7 155) and the highest figure since 2013. This was likely due to the 
overall awareness raised on trafficking.   The concerted multi-agency efforts in Member 
States  to  protect  people  fleeing  the  military  aggression  against  Ukraine  produced  an 
unexpected  positive  impact  on  the  detection  of  victims  of  trafficking  of  different 
nationalities.  

As in previous years, the actual number of victims is likely to be significantly higher 
than reported data suggests, as the statistics only capture victims that become known to 
one of the registering entities, and many victims remain undetected.  

Trafficking  in  human  beings  remains  a  crime  with  a  significant  gender  dimension.  In 
2021-2022, 65% of all the victims in the EU were women and girls14. The vast majority of 
the victims of sexual exploitation are female (92%).  68% of them are women and 24% are 
girls. Men represent the majority of the victims trafficked for labour exploitation (70%). 

46% of the registered victims were EU citizens and 54% were third country nationals. 
This is a shift compared to 2019-2020 when the majority of registered victims was EU 
citizens (55% EU citizens). The top-five EU citizenships of trafficking victims by numbers 
were  Romanian,  French,  Hungarian,  Bulgarian  and  German.  The  top-five  non-EU 
citizenships  were  Nigerian,  Ukrainian,  Moroccan,  Colombian  and  Chinese.  34%  of  all 
victims were citizens of the country in which they were registered (internal trafficking). 

9 The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), EU Agency for the Operational Management of Large-
Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA), EU Agency for Criminal Justice 
Cooperation  (Eurojust),  EU  Agency  for  Law  Enforcement  Cooperation  (Europol),  the  EU  Fundamental 
Rights Agency (FRA), European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX), the EU Agency for Asylum 
(EUAA), the European Labour Authority (ELA). 
10 SWD(2025)4  
11 Since 2021, data is collected by Eurostat every year. 
12 Note: The figures have been adjusted to reflect only the known values in the dataset, excluding estimates 
or unknowns. This adjustment ensures the accuracy and reliability of the data presented. Any discrepancies 
between previous reports and the current figures are due to this refinement process. 

13 A 25% increase of detected victims was recorded in 2022 compared to 2019 at global level.  
14 Same trend worldwide with women and girls making up the majority of trafficking victims, representing 
61% of victims detected in 2022.  

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Nearly all victims  in  Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Latvia were their own 
citizens.  

2.2. Trafficking in human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation  

Trafficking  for  the  purpose  of  sexual  exploitation  continued  to  be  the  most  prevalent 
form of exploitation in the EU during 2021-2022 (49% of victims) although it shows a 
slightly diminishing trend (from 51%).  

The  most  common  method  to  recruit  young  women  and  girls  for  sexual  exploitation 
continued  to  be  the  ‘lover-boy  method’15.  Traffickers  often  engage  in  romantic 
relationships online, create emotional dependence and lure the victims into exploitation. 
Most Member States and Europol confirmed the prevalent role of social media, especially 
dating apps, escort sites and adult websites, for the recruitment for sexual exploitation.  

Victims are also recruited from non-EU countries for seemingly labour activity and after 
arrival  are  forced  into  prostitution.  For  example,  trafficking  for  sexual  exploitation  of 
Chinese  women  was  organised  via  decentralised  call  centres  operating  in  some  EU 
countries  and  in  China.  Call  centres  act  as  hubs  for  managing  the  victims’  online 
advertisement across countries, setting appointments and prices for sexual services, and 
transferring money to those members in charge of laundering illegal proceeds16. 

The increase of Latin American women and transgender people, being trafficked for sexual 
exploitation was reported in more Member States17 than in the previous reporting period. 
According  to  Europol,  victims  from  Latin America  enter  the  EU  from  different  entry 
points,  sometimes  taking  advantage  of  visa  liberalisation  regimes,  and  are  then  moved 
further to the locations where exploitation takes place. In Poland for example, the 2022 
statistics  show  a  476%  increase  in  identified  victims  of  human  trafficking  from  Latin-
America compared to 2021 (mostly from Colombia, Guatemala, Venezuela, Mexico and 
Peru). Victims of sexual exploitation of sub-Saharan origin, for example from Nigeria, the 
Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Somalia, Ivory Coast and Kenya, also appear 
in many Member States18.  

2.3. Trafficking in human beings for the purpose of labour exploitation 

Trafficking  for the purpose of labour exploitation remains the second most prevalent 
form of trafficking in human beings in the EU during 2021-2022 (37% of the victims). It 
is the predominant form of exploitation in four Member States19. There is a 51% increase 
in victims of labour exploitation 2021-2022 (5 940), compared to the previous period (3 
940)20. In 2022, the shares of sexual exploitation and labour exploitation were even (41%). 
Men represent the majority of the victims (70%). Nearly the same share of EU (46%) and 

15 Hungary, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Greece, Bulgaria, Eurojust, Europol, EMPACT. 
16  For  more  information  please  see  First  forensic  sprint  at  Europol  to  speed  up  human  trafficking 
investigations | Europol (europa.eu). 
17 Estonia, Belgium, France, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, Malta Spain and Europol. 
18 Austria, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, Malta, Denmark. 
19 Belgium, Latvia, Luxembourg and Portugal. 
20 At global level, between 2019 and 2022, the number of victims detected for trafficking for forced labour 
rose by 47%.  

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non-EU (54%) victims was registered in the EU in 2021-2022, compared to the previous 
period21.   

Many Member States and Europol highlighted that recruitment is carried out online with 
fraudulent job advertisements. Germany observed the use of the  ‘lover-boy method’ for 
recruitment of victims also for the purposes of labour exploitation.  

High-risk  sectors  for  exploitation  include  construction,  agriculture,  forestry,  food 
processing,  assembly  lines,  hospitality,  retail,  carwashes,  beauty  and  cleaning  services, 
transportation and housekeeping22. The newly emerging sectors are, for example domestic 
care and nursing services and parcel delivery. The football sector has emerged as a special 
area for exploitation in Portugal and Belgium23. Young football players were lured with the 
promise of a contract, development opportunities and future perspective in football career. 
They received very little or no salary, forced to work, stayed in precarious circumstances 
with their passports retained and they were not allowed to leave the premises24.  

While  in  the  construction  sector,  in  food  processing  and  in  transportation,  large  and 
medium-size companies are involved and the exploitation can lead to significant number 
of victims, beauty services, hospitality and carwashes are often run by small and micro-
enterprises and family businesses with fewer victims. The high number of victims in the 
reporting period was also due to some high-profile investigations having led to a significant 
number  of  potential  victims,  primarily  in  Belgium  at  the  construction  site  of  a  multi-
national  chemical  company25  and  in  Germany  in  the  drink  logistic  sector  where  555 
potential victims were rescued26. 

The nationality and the profile of the victims largely depends on the sector of exploitation. 
Male workers from Asia27, North-Africa28 and Eastern Europe29 are typically employed at 
construction sites and in agriculture, while Eastern-Europeans (Belarus, Ukraine, Poland) 
are employed in the transportation sector. Vietnamese and Thai women are exploited in 
beauty and nail salons, while Indian and certain African nationalities suffer exploitation in 
the domestic care industry. Child labour in the EU is typical within the family or in family 
businesses. Children are exploited in the hospitality, agriculture, construction, or cleaning 
services. Many children also carry out domestic care of their old or ill family members30. 

Member  States  indicated  the  specific  vulnerabilities  of  seasonal  workers31.  Victims  are 
taken to remote agricultural sites, where they live and work, paying for the accommodation 
that  is  in  most  cases  precarious  and  overcrowded.  They  fall  in  a  situation  of  total 
dependence due to scarce economic resources, and the lack of language knowledge. The 

21 The citizenship of 5% of registered victims of trafficking for labour exploitation was reported as ‘other’. 
22 Europol.  
23 El Dourado case Portugal and Corr. Bruxelles francophone, 4 novembre 2019, 69ème ch. (par défaut et 
appel). Voy. Myria, Rapport annuel Traite et trafic des êtres humains 2020, Derrière des portes closes, pp. 90-
91 et le site internet de Myria (jurisprudence), Bruxelles, 27 juin 2022, 11ème ch. 
24 In order to reduce trafficking in 2022 FIFA reformed the transfer system, which includes the issuing of an 
electronic passport that provides a player's registration history from the age of twelve. 
25 Rapport annuel d'évaluation 2023 | Traite et trafic des êtres humains (myria.be). 
26 BKA - Bundeslagebilder Menschenhandel - Bundeslagebild Menschenhandel und Ausbeutung 2022. 
27 Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey, Nepal. 
28 Morocco. 
29 Ukraine, Hungary, Bulgaria. 
30 Kinderarbeit - Fakten und Forderungen | terre des hommes (tdh.de).  
31 Austria, Finnland, Ireland, Portugal, Sweden and Europol. 

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limited accessibility and remoteness of the sites make labour inspections and the detection 
of victims challenging32. 

The occurrence of exploitation does not depend on the size, profit and the organisation of 
the  companies.  Investigations  have  demonstrated  that  traffickers  act  with  very  high 
sophistication  in  complex  business  structures  and  specialisation  in  organising  the 
recruitment,  travel  and  accommodation  with  identification  documents  of  hundreds  of 
people originating from nearly all continents. Trafficking for labour exploitation is often 
intertwined with other crimes, such as tax and social security fraud, document fraud, severe 
violations of employment and social security legislation. Organised criminal networks also 
use  physical  or  psychological  threats  to  control  the  victims,  combined  with  the 
dispossession of identification documents and phones. The majority of the victims do not 
speak  the  language  of  the  hosting  country,  they  are  reluctant  to  cooperate  with  the 
authorities and they may not necessarily identify themselves as victims. Exploiters often 
force their victims to open bank accounts, over which they take control to access victims’ 
wages and finances33.  

2.4. Trafficking in human beings for other forms of exploitation 

During the reporting period, forms of trafficking in human beings, other than sexual and 
labour  exploitation,  accounted  for  14%  of  all  victims34.  Such  forms  of  exploitation 
include forced criminal activities, forced begging, illegal removal of organs and “other” 
forms.  

While forced criminality only accounted for 3% of all registered victims in the EU for 
2021-2022, some Member States35 reported an increase in this form of exploitation. Forced 
criminality  is  often  associated  with  theft,  petty  crime,  pickpocketing,  shoplifting  and 
selling  drugs.  Member  States  also  reported  about  increasing  online  fraud  committed 
through forced criminality and about social security fraud36. They have also reported that 
the exploitation of children by criminal gangs for pickpocketing, robberies and acting as 
drug mules, has escalated37. Criminal gangs are using young vulnerable boys (mainly with a 
migration background) to serve as drug mules, work on cannabis plantations, commit robberies 
or even shootings and other violent acts. In October 2023, Europol supported the Serbian Police 
in  dismantling  a  criminal  network  involved  in  child  trafficking  for  the  purposes  of  forced 
marriage, forced begging and forced criminality. The family-based criminals and victims were 
between 5 and 17 years old. Austria, France and Germany were involved in the investigation38. 

Forced begging (2%) remains present in several Member States as a form of exploitation. 
In Portugal, it represented the third main form of exploitation. Mainly underage Romanian, 
Bulgarian,  Slovakian  and  Hungarian  nationals  were  represented  amongst  the  victims, 
including Roma ethnicities.  

32 Finland, Sweden, Portugal the Annual Security Report 2022. 
33 Europol. 
34 In 2019-2020, other forms of exploitation represented 11% of cases of trafficking in human beings in the 
EU.  
35 For example Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Spain.  
36 Ireland and Slovenia. 
37 For example Estonia, France. 
38 For more information please see  Human trafficking ring exploiting children halted in Serbia | Europol 
(europa.eu). 

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Several Member States39 reported cases of trafficking for forced and sham marriages, 
which affect ethnic minorities, such as Roma people and children (primarily girls) with a 
migration  background.  Forced  marriage  is  often  also  linked  to  multiple  forms  of 
exploitation, such as sexual exploitation, labour exploitation or forced begging40.  

Exploitative surrogacy is an emerging form of trafficking. Criminals exploit vulnerable 
women for the purposes of exploitation of surrogacy. Intermediaries (such as reproductive 
clinics) are engaging in organised, cross-border crime for obtaining very large profits. The 
Hellenic Police dismantled an organised criminal group exploiting women from Eastern 
European countries41 for the removal of ova and surrogacy services.  

Suspected  trafficking  for  the  purpose  of  removal  of  organs  was  reported  by  Bulgaria, 
Greece  and Slovakia, which also  included the exploitative removal of cells, tissues and 
blood as organ trafficking. In addition, Greece considered the removal of ova  related to 
medically assisted reproduction as organ removal. This form of exploitation represented 
less than 1% of registered cases in the EU in 2021-2022.  

2.5. Child trafficking 

Child trafficking is a rapidly evolving and multi-faceted form of trafficking in human beings, 
which  is  a  severe  form  of  human  exploitation,  violence  against  children,  child  abuse  and 
violation of children's rights. In 2021-2022, 81% of the child victims were EU citizens (2 
401 children) and 88% of them (2 120 children) were exploited in their own Member State. 
Child victims constituted almost one-fifth of all registered victims in the EU (19%). The 
share of child victims in 2021-2022 decreased by 3% compared with the share in 2019-
202042. Some Member States report very low number of child victims43. The decreasing trend 
of  the  number  of  registered  child  victims  may  be  linked  to  the  increase  in  online  sexual 
exploitation, where many victims remain hidden. In some Member States, child victims are not 
registered as trafficking victims in order to provide them with a more comprehensive support 
available  for  children.  Therefore,  the  real  number  of  child  victims  of  exploitation  remains 
unknown and might be underreported. The victims in general have a weak social and family 
background. They suffer from low self-esteem, psychological problems, often try drugs, and are 
exposed  to  short-  and  long-term  physical,  mental,  psychological,  and  other  profound 
development problems. Children in residential or institutional care are particularly vulnerable to 
trafficking. 

Children in the EU are trafficked for all forms of exploitation, mainly sexual exploitation, 
but also for forced criminality, forced begging, forced marriage and labour exploitation44. 
Digitalization  has  led  to  a  worrying  increase  in  cases  of  underage  prostitution  leading  to 
trafficking. In many cases, these are young children, who are very active on social networks and 
gaming  sites  and  thereby  attract  the  attention  of  traffickers.  “Pocket  money”  exploitation 
emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, when traffickers convinced young girls online to top-

39 Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Croatia, Latvia, Greece and Lithuania. 
40 Greece. 
41  Mostly Georgia and Albania. 
42 In contrast, at global level, the number of detected child victims increased by 31% in 2022 compared to 
2019.  
43 Belgium, Spain, Ireland, Austria. 
44 Europol and EMPACT OA 2.8. 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
up their pocket money by prostitution leading them into sexual exploitation. The crime became 
so widely spread in Germany that law enforcement gave a special name to it45.  

The Trocadero case in France is an example where forced criminality was recognized by 
the  Tribunal  in  the  first  instance  as  a  purpose  of  trafficking  in  human  beings.  Seven 
Algerian  traffickers  created  a  drug  addiction/dependency  on  seventeen  unaccompanied 
minors  and  forced  them  to  commit  crime,  including  stealing,  on  the  famous Trocadero 
square in Paris46. 

2.6. Trafficking in human beings in the context of migration 

In the reporting period, the share of non-EU nationals became higher and constituted the 
majority  of  trafficking  victims.  In  2021-2022,  46%  of  the  registered  victims  were  EU 
citizens while 54% had non-EU citizenship. This demonstrates a shift compared to 2019-
2020 when the majority of registered victims was EU citizens (55% EU citizens and 45% 
third country nationals).  

The nationality and gender of non-EU victims largely depends on the form of exploitation. 
While victims from Nigeria, Cameroon, China and Latin American countries are mainly 
female  and  trafficked  for  sexual  exploitation,  victims  from  Morocco,  Bangladesh, 
Pakistan,  the  Philippines,  Algeria  and  India  are  mainly  male  and  subjected  to  labour 
exploitation.  

During  the  past  years,  many African  women  and  girls  among  the  migrants  arriving  in 
Cyprus  and  countries  in  southeast  Europe  were  reportedly  forced  into  prostitution  by 
violent African  criminal  groups.  For  example,  Nigerian,  Congolese,  Cameroonian  and 
other African women arrived on student visas in the non-government controlled area of 
Cyprus and ended up forced into prostitution in private apartments, bars, and nightclubs.47 
Similarly, women from Latin America and Ukraine arrive legally in the EU for a short stay, 
and engage in prostitution with seemingly legal contracts, which often lead to exploitation 
under strict surveillance and restrictions to leave the premises. Trafficking victims from 
China  and  Latin-American  countries  not  only  reach  the  Member  States  of  destination 
directly by air, they also often arrive via the Western Balkan route48.  

Unaccompanied minors are at particular risk and vulnerable to traffickers. Between 2018 
and  2022,  the  number  of  unaccompanied  minors  arriving  in  Europe  has  increased 
significantly each year, reaching 15 928 in 2022. North African and Afghan smuggling and 
trafficking networks exploit young Afghan, Moroccan, Algerian or Tunisian boys, forcing them 
into prostitution or sexual violence along their migratory route to the EU. The exploitation is 
often broadcasted on social media with the objective to blackmail their families for money49.  

3.  EU AND MEMBER STATES ACTIONS TO ADDRESS TRAFFICKING IN 

HUMAN BEINGS 

3.1. A comprehensive approach to addressing trafficking in human beings 

45 2022 Bundeslagebild des Menschenhandels (Bundeskriminalamt). 
46 L'Avis sur la traite à des fins de contrainte à commettre tout crime ou délit (A - 2024-2) (cncdh.fr). 
47 Frontex contribution. 
48 Europol contribution.  
49 EMPACT 2.8. 

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During  the  reporting  period,  the  legal,  financial,  operational  and  policy  initiatives 
announced in the four areas of the EU Strategy on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings 
2021-2025 have significantly advanced, are ongoing or have already been implemented. 
One of the priority actions of the EU Strategy was the evaluation and revision of Directive 
2011/36/EU50.  The  Commission  addressed  the  major  shortcomings  in  a  legislative 
proposal presented on 19 December 202251, which was adopted by the co-legislators on 13 
June 2024 and entered into force on 14 July 2024. Member States will have to transpose 
and implement the new provisions by 15 July 2026.  

The  Commission  will  launch  an  Anti-trafficking  Hub,  which  will  act  as  an  umbrella 
platform to support Member States in the implementation of the amended Directive and 
the  Strategy,  to  develop  guidelines,  to  exchange  best  practices,  and  to  reinforce 
cooperation. 

The  collection  and  sharing  of  statistics  with  the  Commission  (EUROSTAT)  becomes 
mandatory  under  the  amended  Directive.  Data  allows  to  understand  the  situation  and 
actions  needed  and  feeds  into  the  preparation  of  EU  and  national  priorities  reflected  in 
National  Strategies  and  Action  Plans52,  as  well  as  guidelines,  protocols  and 
procedures53 aimed at supporting the relevant stakeholders in detecting, identifying and 
protecting  victims.  The  amended  Directive  also  includes  a  new  obligation  for  Member 
States to adopt and implement every five years a national Anti-trafficking Action Plan.  

Data  also  feeds  into  the  allocation  of  financial  resources  for  combatting  trafficking  in 
human  beings.  Funding  planned  during  the  reporting  period  through  the  Asylum, 
Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF)54 and the Internal Security Fund (ISF)55 amounts 
to  a  total  budget  of  about  EUR  25  million  in  2021-202456.  For  example,  out  of  the 
EUR 25 million,  about  EUR 3.8 million  were  awarded  under  ISF  to  five  transnational 
actions aiming at breaking the criminal business model of traffickers in human beings by 
strengthening  the  law  enforcement  and  judicial  responses  against  trafficking  in  human 
beings,  in  particular as  regards children and labour exploitation57. Also, as an example, 
about EUR 4 million were awarded under AMIF to six transnational projects dealing with 
assistance, support and integration of third country national victims of trafficking in human 
beings. 

From an operational point of view, the fight against trafficking in human beings is fully 
integrated  in  the  European  Multidisciplinary  Platform  Against  Criminal  Threats 
(EMPACT), which support multidisciplinary actions against ten crime priorities identified 

50 SWD/2022/427 final 
51  Proposal  of  the  Commission  for  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  amending  Directive 
2011/36/EU  on  preventing  and  combatting  trafficking  in  human  beings  and  protecting  its  victims 
(COM/2022/732 final). 
52 Romania, France, Italy, Greece, Slovenia, Czechia, Netherlands. 
53 Germany, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia. 
54 AMIF - Thematic Facility Work Programme for 2021-2022 and 2023-2023 are available of DG HOME 
website: 
https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/funding/asylum-migration-and-integration-funds/asylum-
migration-and-integration-fund-2021-2027_en.  
55  ISF  -  Thematic  Facility  Work  Programme  for 2021-2022 and  2023-2025  are  available on  DG  HOME 
https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/funding/internal-security-funds/internal-security-fund-2021-
website: 
2027_en. 
56 EUR 25 million correspond to what was planned, but the implemented or committed amount might be 
different. This amount covers different types of actions i.e. Union actions, specific actions and procurement. 
57 The list of  EU grants financed under AMIF and ISF  is available  on the EU Funding &Tenders Portal, 
under the section EU Funded projects (europa.eu). 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
by  the  Council  in  the  context  of  the  EMPACT  Cycle58.  Its  aim  is  to  disrupt  criminal 
networks engaged in trafficking in human beings for all forms of exploitation. During the 
period 2022-2025, in total 70 operational actions, supported by the EU Agencies, are being 
carried out to implement strategic goals, such as joint investigations on labour and sexual 
exploitation,  forced  criminality,  child  trafficking,  financial  investigations  related  to 
trafficking in human beings as well as collection and exchange of operational and strategic 
information on trafficking in human beings.  

Eurojust  supported  66  Joint  Investigations  Teams  (JITs)  in  trafficking  cases59.  Several 
Member States60 reported on participating in JITs coordinated by Eurojust, with both EU 
and non-EU Member States.  

Finally, trafficking in human beings requires a multi stakeholder, coordinated approach. 
Coordination  at  the  EU  level  by  the  EU  Anti-Trafficking  Coordinator61  (EU  ATC)  has 
been reinforced in the amended Directive62, which explicitly foresees coordination with 
national anti-trafficking coordinators, independent bodies, EU Agencies, and with relevant 
civil society organisations active in the field.  

Coordination is also addressed at national level. The amended Directive makes the function 
of  national  anti-trafficking  coordinators  mandatory,  requires  adequate  resources  and 
describes the tasks63. Moreover, Member States are encouraged to establish independent 
national bodies for monitoring the implementation and impact of anti-trafficking actions. 
For instance, Germany designated the German Human Rights Institute to fulfil the role of 
an  independent  national  rapporteur  for  trafficking  in  human  beings,  which  brings  the 
number of national rapporteurs in the EU to 1664.   

3.2. Preventing trafficking in human beings  

3.2.1 Reducing the demand that fosters the crime 

Demand  fosters  all  forms  of  exploitation  of  people  in  vulnerable  situation,  which 
traffickers take advantage of. Legislative changes in several Member States criminalised 
the use of sexual services or any services provided by victims of trafficking65, while other 
Member States were debating about the introduction of such criminalisation.  

In 2022, four Member States reported a total of 51 suspects and 8 prosecutions in relation 
to the use of services of victims. During the reporting period, Cyprus reported that one user 
was convicted to 3 years imprisonment for the offence of receiving sexual services from a 
victim of human trafficking, while Hungary reported one conviction for the exploitation of 
child prostitution. 

58  Council  Conclusions  setting  the  EU’s  priorities  for  the  fight  against  serious  and  organised  crime  for 
EMPACT 2022-2025, https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-8665-2021-INIT/en/pdf. Also see 
EU Policy Cycle - EMPACT | Europol (europa.eu). 
59 For more information, visit  Joint investigation teams | Eurojust | European Union Agency for Criminal 
Justice Cooperation (europa.eu). 
60 Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Ireland, Malta, Spain and Romania, Slovakia and 
Slovenia.  
61 EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator - European Commission (europa.eu). 
62 Article 20 of Directive 2024/1712/EU. 
63 Article 19 of Directive 2024/1712/EU. 
64  Belgium,  Czechia,  Finland,  France,  Germany,  Greece,  Ireland,  Latvia,  Lithuania,  Luxembourg, 
Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden. 
65 Hungary, Germany, the Netherlands. 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
In order to develop a coherent policy response to tackle demand that fosters trafficking in 
human beings, and to further reinforce and harmonize the criminal justice efforts across 
Member  States,  the  amended  Directive  made  it  mandatory  for  Member  States  to 
criminalise  the knowing use of exploited services66. The  amended  Directive provides 
guidance in the recitals with indicators to infer the “knowledge” based upon objective and 
factual  circumstances67.  The  Directive  encompasses  all  forms  of  exploitation,  where  a 
service is delivered by a victim of trafficking. It does not apply, however, to customers 
purchasing of goods produced by victims of trafficking.  

3.2.2  Preventive measures targeting legal persons 

Several  legislative  measures  were  adopted  at  EU  level,  aiming  at  addressing  the 
responsibility  of  companies,  including  online  platforms,  to  reduce  demand  and  detect 
potential cases of trafficking in human beings in their activities and supply chains.  
The  Digital  Services  Act68,  adopted  on  19  October  2022,  will  contribute  to  detecting, 
monitoring  and  removing  online  content  related  to  trafficking  in  human  beings69.  The 
Commission designated “Very Large Online Platforms” and “Very Large Search Engines”, 
including  four  adult  websites70,  which  are  subject  to  strict  obligations  concerning  the 
identification,  assessment  and  mitigation  of  systemic  risks  as  well  as  transparency 
measures,  accessible  reporting  tools  and  complaint  mechanisms.  In  addition,  all  online 
platforms and search engines must put in place appropriate measures to ensure high level 
of privacy, safety and security of minors and notify illegal content to law enforcement if 
they become aware of  suspected criminal  offences.  Moreover,  with  the  amended Anti-
Trafficking  Directive,  sexual  exploitation  committed  or  facilitated  by  information  and 
communication technologies became an aggravating circumstance potentially leading to 
higher penalties, taking into account the amplification of the offence committed by such 
technologies and the possible long-lasting impact on the victims. 
The  Directive  on  corporate  sustainability  due  diligence71  of  13  June  2024  is 
complementary to Directive 2011/36/EU. It sets out a horizontal framework to foster the 
contribution of businesses and their subcontractors operating in the single market to the 
respect of human rights  and the environment through their own operations and through 
their  supply  chains.  Businesses  in  scope  of  the  Directive  must  engage  in  identifying, 
preventing, mitigating and accounting for their adverse human rights and environmental 
impacts, including trafficking in human beings. 

On  27  November  2024,  the  Regulation  on  prohibiting  products  made  with  forced 
labour on the Union market72 was adopted. It covers domestic and imported products 
that are produced by forced labour. Building on international standards and complementing 

66 Article 18a of Directive 2024/1712/EU. 
67 Recital 27 of Directive 2024/1712/EU. 
68 Regulation 2022/2065/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on a Single 
Market  for  Digital  Services  and  amending  Directive  2000/31/EC  (Digital  Services  Act)  (OJ  L  277, 
27.10.2022, p.1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/2065/oj). 
69 Recital 56 of the Digital Services Act. 
70 Pornhub, Stripchat, XVideos, and XNXX. 
71 Directive (EU) 2024/1760 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13  June 2024 on corporate 
sustainability due diligence and amending Directive (EU) 2019/1937 and Regulation (EU) 2023/2859 (Text 
with EEA relevance) (OJ L, 2024/1760, 5.7.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1760/oj).  
72  Regulation  (EU)  2024/3015  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  27  November  2024  on 
prohibiting products made with forced labour on the Union market and amending Directive (EU) 2019/1937 
(OJ L, 2024/3015, 12.12.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/3015/oj). 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
existing  horizontal  and  sectoral  EU  initiatives,  in  particular  the  due  diligence  and 
transparency  obligations,  the  Regulation  is  expected  to  combine  a  prohibition  with  a 
robust, risk-based enforcement framework.  

In October 2023 the Commission presented the EU Roadmap on the fight against drug 
trafficking  and  organised  crime73,  which  proposes  17  operational  actions  along  four 
pillars,  one  of  which  relates  to  crime  prevention.  Here,  the  Roadmap  prioritises  the 
promotion  of  measures  to  prevent    young  people  and  children  from  being  recruited  by 
criminal  gangs,  since  criminal  networks,  including  drug  traffickers,  exploit  vulnerable 
young  people  or  even  children  to  carry  out  criminal  activities,  in  particular  drug 
trafficking74. At national level, Member States have already taken measures for companies 
to  carry out  due diligence throughout their supply chain  to  detect  and prevent  potential 
labour exploitation75. Some Member States adhered to or updated76 the OECD Guidelines 
for  Multinational  Enterprises  for  Responsible  Business  Conduct  or  included  special 
provisions on this matter in their National Action Plans on combating trafficking in human 
beings77.  Some  Member  States78  organised  conferences  and  training  for  companies  on 
corporate  due  diligence,  while  others  adopted  stricter  rules  penalising  businesses  for 
exploitative  behaviours79  or  published  online  guidance  on  how  to  minimise  the  risk  of 
labour exploitation80.  

With regard to offences of labour exploitation, France put in place a ‘blacklist’ scheme, i.e 
a  publication  on  a  dedicated  website  of  the  Ministry  of  Labour81,  which  contains  final 
Court decisions condemning a legal person.  

3.2.3 Awareness raising campaigns 

On 18 October 2023, on the EU Anti-trafficking Day, the European Commission launched 
the  campaign  “End  human  trafficking.  Break  the  invisible  chain”82.  This  campaign 
aims to raise awareness on trafficking in human beings, including both sexual and labour 
exploitation. In the first phase, the Commission created a campaign page, where it made 
available an online video and online materials in all official languages that can be freely 
used by everybody. The second phase is in preparation. The focus will be on Member States 
where the number of victims is the highest and represents the various forms of trafficking83. 

73 EU Roadmap to fight drug trafficking and organised crime (europa.eu). 
74 EUROPEAN CRIME PREVENTION CONFERENCE 2024 | EUCPN addressed the exploitation of young 
people for criminal purposes, in particular for trafficking of drugs. 
75 In Germany, the Act on Corporate Due Diligence in Supply Chains entered into force on 1 January 2023. 
Ireland is working towards adopting similar legislation. In addition, Germany established a Service Centre 
within the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which regularly provides inputs on the risk of labour 
exploitation, forced labour and trafficking in human beings to companies established in Germany. 
76 Czechia, Finland. 
77 Slovenia. 
78 Bulgaria, Finland, Poland.  
79 Bulgaria.  
80 Denmark. 
81 List of convicted individuals (travail-emploi.gouv.fr). 
82 End human trafficking. Break the invisible chain - European Commission (europa.eu). Its objectives are 
(i) to educate the public to recognize and report trafficking in human beings and discourage from using the 
services of trafficked people; (ii) to make potential victims aware about the threats and risks of trafficking in 
human beings and prevent them from falling victims; (iii) to inform employers about trafficking in human 
beings and deter them from hiring trafficked people; and (iv) to inform trafficking victims about their rights 
and available help. 
83 Bulgaria, Spain, France, Hungary, Italy and the Netherlands. 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
EU  Agencies  also  engaged  in  awareness-raising  during  the  reporting  period.  Europol 
published a guide on how not to fall for lover boys84, while the European Labour Authority 
(ELA) produced a video and several leaflets85 to raise awareness on the risks of trafficking 
in human beings for labour exploitation while highlighting its support for the enforcement 
of applicable EU labour law through coordination of concerted and joint inspections. 

Member States86 carried out awareness raising campaigns on trafficking in human beings 
through social media, videos, leaflets, posters, media, as well as in schools, among others. 
Some Member States87 carried out awareness raising campaigns on labour rights and safe 
work opportunities, as well as on the risks of trafficking for labour exploitation in various 
sectors. Several Member States88 put in place awareness campaigns targeting clients on 
social media, dating websites and advertising platforms for sexual services. For example, 
Romania  launched  an  international  prevention  campaign  "Without  clients,  there’s  no 
trafficking!", carried out in partnership with the Romanian and Spanish Police. Slovakia 
specifically  addressed  the  Roma  community  in  Roma  language  on  the  risks  of  forced 
marriage.  

In  the  context  of  the  2024  Paris  Olympic  and  Paralympic  Games,  the  Inter-ministerial 
Mission of the Protection of Women against Violence and the Fight against Trafficking in 
Human Beings (MIPROF) took comprehensive measures to prevent trafficking in human 
beings, including: (i) training built in collaboration with the National School of Magistracy 
with the objective to educate all those who come into contact with potential victims, and 
ensure they are well-informed and ready to act; (ii) engagement with the private sector, 
especially short-term rental platforms and transport companies89 to raise awareness on the  
risks and forms of trafficking in human beings and sensitize them on due diligence; (iii) a 
communication  campaign  to  raise  awareness  among  foreign  tourists  of  the  risks  of 
trafficking in human beings90.  

3.2.4  Training 

Specialised  training  is  further  encouraged  by  the  amended  Directive,  which  requires 
Member States to promote regular and specialised training to professionals likely to come 
into contact with potential victims of trafficking in human beings, to enable them to prevent 
and  combat  trafficking  and  avoid  secondary  victimisation.  During  the  reporting  period, 
Member  States  offered  a  broad  range  of  training  activities  to  various  stakeholders, 
including law enforcement and judicial authorities, border guards, asylum and immigration 
officers, health professionals, social workers, social and labour inspectors, consular staff, 
municipalities staff, as well as flight attendants, in order to enable them to detect cases of 
trafficking,  identify  possible  victims,  carry  out  the  interviews  and  inform  them  about 
support measures and the referral systems.  

84 How not to fall for the lover boy scam | Europol (europa.eu).  
85 Road to fair transport | European Labour Authority (europa.eu), EU for fair construction | European Labour 
Authority (europa.eu), Rights for all seasons | European Labour Authority (europa.eu). 
86  Belgium,  Bulgaria,  Croatia,  Finland,  Hungary,  Luxembourg,  Latvia,  Malta,  the  Netherlands,  Portugal, 
Romania and Spain. 
87 Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland and Spain. 
88 Romania, Hungary, Spain, Sweden, Ireland, Romania, Poland. 
89 Airbnb, Gîtes de France, AirFrance, Vinci, Volotea. 
90 Awareness campaign: Fighting the purchase of sexual acts and human trafficking during the Olympic and 
Paralympic Games Paris 2024 | Gender equality (egalite-femmes-hommes.gouv.fr). 

12 

 
 
 
 
 
At  EU  level,  several  EU Agencies  developed  targeted  training  activities. The  European 
Agency for law enforcement training (CEPOL) continued to provide training activities to 
foster  a  network  of  criminal  investigators  across  the  EU  Member  States  and  directly 
enhance the effectiveness of cross-border operational cooperation. Multifaceted training 
activities cover the main aspects of criminalistics as regards the fight against trafficking in 
labour 
human  beings,  notably  sexual  exploitation, 
exploitation, as well as integration of special investigation techniques and financial and 
online  investigations.  The  ELA  also  delivered  several  training  modules  and  developed 
training  manuals  on  labour  exploitation  for  labour  inspectors.  The  Fundamental  Right 
Agency (FRA) also produced a training manual for the training of labour inspectors and 
other workplace inspection bodies, focusing on  the protective standards in  EU law that 
safeguard the rights of third-country workers, including seasonal workers, migrant workers 
with temporary permits and migrants in an irregular situation91.  

including  online 

trafficking, 

The  European  Judicial  Training  Network  (EJTN)92  offered  training  to  judges  and 
prosecutors on the judicial aspects of labour exploitation and the particular challenges for 
the criminal proceedings. 

CEPOL, the ELA and the EJTN also combined efforts in training interventions with special 
attention to victim protection and fundamental rights. 

3.3. Breaking the criminal business model of traffickers 

3.3.1 Investigations 

Trafficking in human beings is committed by larger organised crime groups as well as by smaller 
networks or even by individuals. In its report on the most threatening criminal networks in the 
EU93,  Europol  identified  sexual  exploitation  as  the  sole  core  business  for  eighteen  criminal 
networks,  labour  exploitation  for  thirteen  networks94  and  other  forms  of  trafficking  for  five 
networks. Numerous criminal networks combine trafficking in human beings with other crime 
areas,  such  as  drug  trafficking,  organised  property  crime,  document  and  identity  fraud  and 
migrant smuggling. The operational actions set out in the EU Roadmap on the fight against 
drug trafficking and  organised  crime95  aim  at  tackling these  high-risk  criminal networks, 
including those involved in trafficking in human beings. 

To  respond  to  other  emerging  developments,  the  amended  Directive  introduces  several 
novelties with the aim to criminalize new forms of trafficking, set more severe penalties and 
increase the expertise and capabilities of law enforcement and prosecution in Member States. 
The exploitation of surrogacy, of forced marriage and of illegal adoption are explicitly mentioned 
as forms of exploitations that may qualify as trafficking in human beings as far as the other 
elements of the definition (conduct and mean) are met.  

Law enforcement cooperation remained intensive during the period 2021-202496, both at 
EU and national level, which is reflected in the continuous increase of 16% in the total 

91 How workplace inspectors can protect third-country workers’ rights - Training manual 
92 European Judicial Training Network (EJTN). 
93 Decoding the EU’s most threatening criminal networks | Europol (europa.eu). 
94  Criminal  networks  active  in  trafficking  for  labour  exploitation  mainly  operate  in  Germany,  the 
Netherlands, Poland and Ukraine. The most represented nationalities within networks engaging in this form 
of trafficking are Georgian, Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian and Uzbek. 
95 EU Roadmap to fight drug trafficking and organised crime (europa.eu). 
96 Europol supported 80 operational meetings in 2023, 23 Joint Operational Action Days and 2 Operational 
Task Forces. 

13 

 
 
 
 
 
number  of  individuals  suspected  of  trafficking  in  human  beings,  as  compared  to  the 
previous reporting period97. The share of EU citizens accounted for 72% of all suspects 
registered in the EU in 2022.  

Trafficking in human beings is one of the priorities of the European Multidisciplinary 
Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT). In 2024, EMPACT THB consists of 22 
operational actions. In 2023 EMPACT operational actions proved to be a major success 
and  resulted  in  steadily  improved  outcomes  in  terms  of  the  increasing  number  of  joint 
action days, operational task forces and operational results, namely the identification of 7 
536  (potential)  victims  and  over  5  000  suspects  as  well  as  the  launch  of  103  financial 
investigations and the seizure of EUR 4 108 67098.  

EMPACT also supported innovative approaches to digital investigations, in particular in 
the forms of Hackathons, which helped to identify online platforms where sexual or labour 
exploitation  took  place  and  assisted  Member  States  in  the  analysis  of  large  amount  of 
digital data from  media  confiscated during investigations.  From  20  countries joining  in 
2022, the action included 26 countries in 2023 and 27 countries in 2024, including partners 
from non-EU neighbouring countries99. The action established a structured approach to the 
online  dimension  of  human  trafficking,  from  recruitment  through  the  identification  of 
potential victims and their exploitation to the detection of traffickers and criminal groups. 
They proved highly useful, as following the Hackathon, the traffic significantly diminished 
on the checked websites.  

The Hackathon is instrumental to train anti-trafficking specialists in Member States with 
digital tools they can use in their daily work. Member States100 adopted various strategies 
to  detect  and  investigate  cases  of  trafficking  in  human  beings  facilitated  by  the  use  of 
technology. These include monitoring the internet (both the surface web and the dark web) 
combined  with  real-time  open-source  intelligence  analysis,  the  deployment  of  web-
crawlers, covert operations, but also the creation of public private partnerships with adult 
website providers and short-term rental companies101.  

Efforts were made at European level to improve the use of financial investigations. Within 
the  EMPACT  framework,  Member  States  together  with  Europol  developed  a  handbook 
dedicated  to  financial  investigations  in  human  trafficking  investigations.  Moreover,  the 
Europol Financial Intelligence Public Private Partnership (EFIPPP) launched a workstream 
on  developing  indicators  for  automatic  transaction  monitoring102.  Despite  confiscation 
increasing,  Europol  considers  the  absence  of  comprehensive  financial  data  related  to 
human  trafficking  offences  as  a  major  intelligence  gap.  To  address  this  challenge,  law 
enforcement  agencies  must  enhance 
international 
cooperation,  invest  in  specialised  resources,  and  raise  awareness  among  financial 
institutions  and  communities103.  At  national  level,  Member  States  reported  stronger 

their  understanding, 

improve 

97 17 711 suspects were registered in 2021-22 as compared to 15 214 suspects in the period 2019-2020 and 
11 788 in 2017-2018. 
98 empact-factsheets-2023.pdf (europa.eu). 
99 Ukraine, Moldova, Albania, United Kingdom, Kosovo, Serbia. 
100 Ireland, Spain, France, Croatia and Netherlands.  
101 Austria, Hungary, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Finland, Croatia, Slovakia 
102 EFIPPP Homepage - EFIPPP. 
103 Europol contribution. 

14 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
cooperation  with  the financial sector, by establishing indicators for trafficking,  creating 
public-private partnerships or through more regular cooperation104.  

At  EU  level,  in  order  to  prevent  labour  exploitation  and  detect  fraudulent  job 
advertisements,  Europol  published  a  guide  explaining  the  most  common  indicators105. 
ELA supported Member States’ labour authorities in carrying out cross-border, concerted, 
and  joint  labour  inspections  with  law  enforcement  to  tackle  undeclared  work.  Two 
EMPACT operational actions focused exclusively on labour exploitation, in particular on 
victim support and the agriculture as a high-risk sector. 

Directive 2024/1260 on asset recovery and confiscation of 24 April 2024106 reinforces 
the  capacity  of  police,  prosecutors  and  judges  to  trace  and  confiscate  the  profits  that 
organised criminal groups gain through their illicit activities, including through trafficking 
in  human beings. The Directive will also  strengthen cross-border police cooperation by 
making the launch of asset tracing investigations in organised crime cases mandatory. It 
will  extend  the  possibilities  for  courts  to  confiscate  illicit  assets,  including  through  the 
confiscation of unexplained wealth without a conviction where a court is satisfied that the 
property in question is derived from criminal conduct. All this should allow to disrupt the 
business models of organised criminal groups, dismantle their structures and prevent them 
from carrying out further criminal activities.   

The renewed Schengen Information System (SIS)107 entered into operation on 7 March 
2023108 introducing new alert categories, one of which are the so-called ‘preventive alerts’ 
on  vulnerable  persons  who  need  to  be  prevented  from  travelling109.  The  alerts  on 
vulnerable persons of age and children, are to be entered in the SIS following a decision 
by  competent  national  authorities,  including  judicial  authorities.  In  case  a  vulnerable 
person of age or a child is at risk of being trafficked, his/her travel can be prevented, and 
the person should be placed under protection. Another important feature of the SIS is the 
addition of new types of biometrics (such as palm prints, finger marks, and palm marks, as 
well as DNA records  connected to missing persons) to help locate and identify persons 
entered in the system110. 

Finally,  despite  the  intensified  cross-border  cooperation  and  involvement  of  Europol  in 
some  more  complex  investigations  in  2021  and  2022,  there  is  a  significant  difference 
between  the  statistics  produced  by  Europol  and  the  official  statistics  published  by 
EUROSTAT, in particular concerning the number, age and nationality of the victims, forms 

104 Helena project in Hungary, Denmark, Belgium, Austria. 
105 How to spot fake job adverts | Europol (europa.eu). 
106  Directive  (EU)  2024/1260  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  24  April  2024  on  asset 
recovery and confiscation (OJ L, 2024/1260, 2.5.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1260/oj). . 
107 Schengen Information System - European Commission (europa.eu). 
108  Commission  Implementing  Decision  (EU)  2023/201  of  30  January  2023  setting  the  date  on  which 
operations of the Schengen Information System start pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2018/1861 of the European 
Parliament and of the Council and Regulation (EU) 2018/1862 of the European Parliament and of the Council 
(OJ L 27, 31.1.2023, p. 29, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2023/201/oj ). 
109  Regulation (EU) 2018/1862 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 November 2018 on the 
establishment, operation and use of the Schengen Information System (SIS) in the field of police cooperation 
and judicial cooperation in criminal matters, amending and repealing Council Decision 2007/533/JHA, and 
repealing Regulation (EC) No 1986/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Commission 
Decision 2010/261/EU (OJ L 312, 07/12/2018, p. 56, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/1862/oj) 
110 The SIS is operated by eu-LISA. 

15 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
of  exploitation  and  the  number  of  suspects. While  there  are  objective  reasons  for  these 
discrepancies111,  it  is  necessary  to  underline  the  requirement  for  Member  States  of  the 
timely sharing of the relevant information and data with Europol.  

3.3.2 Prosecutions and convictions 

The total number of individuals prosecuted and convicted for trafficking in human beings 
has increased. In 2021-2022, in total 8 804 persons were prosecuted and  4 728 persons 
were convicted for trafficking in human beings. Prosecutions have increased by 35%112 
and convictions have increased by 57%113, compared to previous reporting period 2019-
2020.  EU  citizens  accounted  for  81%  of  all  prosecuted  individuals  and  74%  of  all 
convicted individuals in 2022. Nevertheless, despite the overall increase, the absolute 
number  of  prosecutions  and  convictions  remains  low,  especially  as  compared  to  the 
number of registered victims and suspects. 

The number of investigations and prosecutions coordinated by Eurojust shows a decreasing 
trend since 2019114, which may highlight difficulties or a lack of Member States’ awareness 
in referring cases to the EU Agency. It can also be due to the fact that gathering evidence 
to identify a crime as trafficking in human beings is time- and resource-consuming, which 
might result in Member States privileging the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators 
under other offences. 

Some Member States implemented measures to increase the effectiveness of prosecution 
by  training,  guidelines,  and  uniform  practices115. At  the  EU  level,  during  the  reporting 
period, the Focus Group of specialised prosecutors met three times (once a year)116 since 
it was established, under the co-chair of Eurojust and the EU ATC. The meetings brought 
together  prosecutors  from  Member  States  and  third  countries  to  build  expertise  and 
intensify judicial cooperation against trafficking in human beings, in particular in digital 
and financial investigation, in labour and sexual exploitation as well as in the exploitation 
of surrogacy. The training of prosecutors and judges was also discussed with the presence 
of CEPOL and the European Judicial Training Network.  

3.4. Early identification, assistance and protection of the victims  

The Anti-trafficking Directive provides for a victim-focused, gender- and child- sensitive 
approach,  which  benefits  the  most  vulnerable,  including  people  with  disabilities  and 
migrants. The amended Directive introduces a number of novelties which significantly 
foster  victims’  rights. Among  others,  it  requires  Member  States  to  establish  national 
referral  mechanisms,  which  should  constitute  a  transparent,  accessible  and  harmonized 

111 The registration of victims is carried out by various authorities and organisations in Member States, which 
form part the official collection of statistics, while only law enforcement authorities report cases to Europol.  
National law enforcement authorities normally do not report domestics cases to Europol but cases with cross-
border dimension. 
112 6 539 persons in 2019-2020 and 8 804 in 2021-2022. The number of prosecuted persons was not available 
for Germany and Italy for the whole period, and for Cyprus for 2019 and 2020. 
113 3 019 persons in 2019-2020 and 4 728 in 2021-2022. The number of convicted persons was not available 
for Belgium for 2020 and 2022, and for Italy for 2019 and 2020. 
114 183 in 2019, to 163 in 2020 and to 140 in 2021, 122 new THB cases in 2022 and 113 new THB cases in 
2023. 
115 Croatia, Hungary. 
116 14 June 2022, 28-29 June 2023 and 26-27 June 2024. 

16 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
framework  facilitating  and  enhancing  victims’  referral  to  the  responsible  national 
organisations and bodies. A referral mechanism should apply to all victims and to all forms 
of  trafficking  offences,  taking  into  account  the  individual  specific  vulnerability  of  the 
victims. Moreover, Member States are required to designate a focal point for the cross-
border referral of victims. The amended Directive requires Member States to ensure that 
victims of trafficking are able to exercise their right to apply for international protection or 
equivalent  national  status.  Therefore,  Member  States  must  ensure  that  the  assistance 
system for victims of trafficking and the asylum procedures are complementary and do not 
preclude  one  another.  Referral  mechanisms  must  cooperate  with  asylum  authorities  to 
ensure that assistance, support and protection are provided to victims of trafficking who 
are also in need of international protection. 

While the Anti-trafficking Directive addresses the specific needs of victims of trafficking 
in human beings, the Victims’ Rights Directive117 is the main horizontal intstrument on 
victims’ rights, which applies to all victims of all crimes. Based on a careful assessment of 
the  EU  rules  on  victims’  rights  and  their  implementation,  the  Commission  proposed  a 
revision of the Victims’ Rights Directive on 12 July 2023118. The proposal aims to further 
strengthen  the  rights  of  victims  in  the  EU,  including  the  rights  of  the  most  vulnerable 
victims,  such  as  victims  of  trafficking  in  human  beings.  The  negotiations  by  the  co-
legislators  are  ongoing.  Moreover, 
the 
implementation  of  the  EU  Strategy  on  victims’  rights  (2020-2025)119  and  has  already 
achieved most of its horizontal actions. 

the  Commission  continues  working  on 

Additionally, the Directive 2024/1385/EU on combating violence against women and 
domestic violence120 acknowledges that the offence of trafficking in human beings for the 
purpose  of  sexual  exploitation  is  a  form  of  violence  against  women.  The  specific 
prevention,  protection  and  support  measures  envisaged  in  the  Directive  on  combating 
violence  against  women  and  domestic  violence  complement  the  measures  laid  down  in 
Directive 2011/36/EU. 

On  23  April  2024,  the  Commission  adopted  a  recommendation  on  integrated  child 
protection systems121. The recommendation aims at supporting Member States to develop 
and strengthen their  child protection systems  according to  children’s needs and in  their 
best interests. It especially encourages coordination among authorities at different levels, 
professionals across sectors, international and civil society organisations. All these child 
protection  actors  need  to  work  together  to  protect  children  from  any  form  of  violence 
(physical, mental, including in the digital world), including trafficking in human beings, in 
a coherent and systemic way. 

Beyond the legislative framework, EU agencies reported on their respective actions for the 
early identification and protection of victims. The EU Asylum Agency (EUAA) continued 

117 Directive 2012/29/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 establishing 
minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime, and replacing Council 
Framework Decision 2001/220/JHA (OJ L 315, 14.11.2012, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2012/29/oj). 
118 COM(2023) 424 final. 
119 COM(2020) 258 final  
120 Directive (EU) 2024/1385 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on combating 
violence 
24.5.2024,  ELI: 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1385/oj). . 
121 Commission Recommendation (EU) 2024/1238 of 23 April 2024 on developing and strengthening 
integrated child protection systems in the best interests of the child (OJ L, 2024/1238, 14.5.2024, ELI: 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/reco/2024/1238/oj). 

against  women 

2024/1385, 

domestic 

(OJ  L, 

violence 

and 

17 

 
 
 
 
 
to provide training to Member States’ asylum and reception authorities, as well as to other 
stakeholders  working  on  their  behalf.  Such  training  focused,  among  others,  on  the 
prevention of trafficking by preparing officials and other relevant actors on how to identify 
risk and push and pull factors for trafficking, and on how to communicate with potential 
victims,  including  through  digital  channels122.  The  European  Border  and  Coast  Guard 
Agency  (FRONTEX)  also  provided  multiple  training  activities  to  border  guards  and 
developed  cooperation  with  transportation  and  short-term  rental  companies123.  In  the 
context of this cooperation, the companies will be invited to join Frontex training activities 
for  awareness  sessions  on  how  the  private  sector  can  support  the  law  enforcement 
community. 

At  the  national  level,  all  Member  States  indicated  measures  to  ensure  that  all  victims 
identified are provided with assistance, support and protection, taking into account gender 
and child-specific needs. Such measures included structured cooperation with airlines and 
airports, including training airline staff124. They also established bilateral cooperations in 
specific  fields,  such  as  the  German-Bulgarian  cooperation  on  the  referral  of  victims  of 
labour exploitation. Furthermore, Member States ensured additional funding was available 
to improve informal or formal national referral mechanisms125, or to establish specialised 
shelters  for  victims  of  trafficking,  including  specialised  shelters  for  males126.  Finally, 
several Member States strengthened legal assistance for victims to obtain compensation 
and  developed  brochures  and  guidelines127.  Several  Member  States128  awarded 
compensation to victims of trafficking in human beings, ranging from EUR 250 to EUR 
65  000  for  physical  injuries,  material  damages,  including  unpaid  wages,  and  moral 
damages.  

Civil society organisations also offered a diverse range of legal counselling services for 
potential victims of trafficking, protection, shelter, medical, psychological and psychiatric 
support, as well as education. 

3.5. International dimension 

Partnerships with third countries and international organisations are indispensable to fight 
transnational criminal networks engaging in trafficking in human beings. They allow to 
identify  common  challenges  and  solutions  that  require  stronger  cooperation  and  joint 
actions. 54% of the victims in the EU are non-EU nationals, which represents a changing 
trend compared to previous years. In 2022, the share of non-EU victims was 63%. This 
increase can likely be linked to more trafficking cases involving migrants,  to migration 
flows and/or to an improvement in the detection of migrant victims due to higher awareness 
on trafficking in human beings and more investigations. 

During  the  reporting  period,  the  external  dimension  was  further  strengthened:  anti-
trafficking  policies  were  included  in  actions  on  fighting  migrant  smuggling,  in  the 
enlargement  process  with  candidate  and  pre-accession  countries  and  in  human  rights, 
security and migration dialogues with third countries, as well as through a range of foreign 
policy instruments and operational cooperation with partner countries.  

122 EUAA contribution. 
123 FRONTEX organised meetings with UBER, Airbnb and Railways Associations.  
124 Austria, Latvia, Poland, Romania and the Netherlands.  
125 Finland. 
126 Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, France, Ireland, Latvia, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain. 
127 Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Ireland.  
128 Belgium, the Netherland, Slovakia, Italy, Romania, Finland. 

18 

 
 
 
 
 
The  international  dimension  was  also  the  focus  of  the  biannual  meetings  of  the  EU 
Network  of  National  Coordinators  and  Rapporteurs  on  25-26 April  2023129  and  on  2-3 
December 2024130. As a follow-up to the discussions on 25-26 April 2023, the European 
Migration Network is carrying out a study with the aim to analyse anti-trafficking policies 
with third countries. The focus of the meeting on 2-3 December 2024, including in a joint 
session with the EU Civil Society Platform against trafficking in human beings, was the 
link between trafficking in human beings and migration, including migrant smuggling. One 
session  was  dedicated  to  the  prevention  and  protection  of  people  fleeing  the  military 
aggression against Ukraine.  

Trafficking is closely linked with migrant smuggling, as migrants or their families often 
end up in debt bondage to pay the smugglers, which results in exploitation. Migrants can 
also be smuggled for the purposes of exploitation. Therefore, it is necessary to address the 
legislative, operative, and funding measures related to the fight against migrant smuggling 
jointly with combating trafficking in human beings in the context of irregular migration131. 
The  EMPACT  Operational  Actions  on  Migrant  Smuggling  and  Trafficking  in  Human 
Beings  foresee  the  participation  of  several  third  countries132  and  include  actions  with  a 
focus on some of the main non-EU areas or countries of origin of victims and traffickers 
identified in the EU.  

Moreover, on 28 November 2023, the Commission presented a package to counter migrant 
smuggling  consisting of a proposal  for  a new Directive laying down minimum  rules to 
prevent and counter the facilitation of unauthorised entry, transit and stay in the Union133, 
a proposal for a Regulation to reinforce police cooperation and Europol’s role in the fight 
against  migrant  smuggling  and  trafficking  in  human  beings134  and  a call  to  action on  a 
global  alliance  to  counter  migrant  smuggling.  The  proposal  for  a  Directive  includes  an 
aggravating circumstance for smuggling offences that entailed or resulted in exploitation. 
The proposal for a Regulation reinforces the European Centre Against Migrant Smuggling 
within Europol to build further capacities for cross-border investigation both in migrant 
smuggling and in trafficking in human beings. The reinforcement seeks to improve inter-
agency cooperation, strengthen coordination at EU level by setting out specific strategic 
tasks, improve information sharing with the agency, reinforce Member States' resources to 
prevent and combat these crimes, and reinforce Europol's support through operational task 

in  human  beings  and 

129 Meeting of the EU Network of National Rapporteurs and Equivalent Mechanisms against trafficking in 
human beings - European Commission (europa.eu). 
130 EU Network of National Coordinators and Rapporteurs and EU Civil Society Platform join efforts against 
trafficking in human beings - European Commission.  
131 The 2024 report by Europol’s European Migrant Smuggling Centre (EMSC) includes latest developments 
on  migrant  smuggling  and 
landscape. 
trafficking 
Tackling_threats__addressing_challenges_-
_Europol’s_response_to_migrant_smuggling_and_trafficking_in_human_beings_in_2023_and_onwards.p
df.  
132  Morocco,  Tunisia,  Gambia,  West  and  Central  Africa,  Türkiye,  Western  Balkans,  Albania,  Moldova, 
Pakistan.  
133 Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL laying 
down minimum rules to prevent and counter the facilitation of unauthorised entry, transit and stay in the 
Union (COM(2023) 755 final) EUR-Lex - 52023PC0755 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu). 
134Proposal  for  a  REGULATION  OF  THE  EUROPEAN  PARLIAMENT  AND  OF  THE  COUNCIL  on 
enhancing police cooperation in relation to the prevention, detection and investigation of migrant smuggling 
and  trafficking  in  human  beings,  and on  enhancing  Europol’s  support  to  preventing  and  combating  such 
crimes and amending Regulation (EU) 2016/794 EUR-Lex - 52023PC0754 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu). 

the  current  criminal 

19 

 
 
 
 
 
forces and deployments for operational support. The proposals are being discussed by the 
co-legislators. 

Alerted by the unprecedentedly high risk of trafficking following the beginning of Russia’s 
full-scale  war  of  aggression  against  Ukraine  on  24  February  2022,  a  Common Anti-
Trafficking  Plan135  was  developed  by  the  EU  Anti-Trafficking  Coordinator.  The 
implementation of the Plan contributed to preventing that crime and keeping the number 
of confirmed trafficking investigations low. The rapid and effective emergency response 
inspired a modification of Article 19 of the amended Directive, which foresees contingency 
response plans in order to prevent the threat of trafficking in human beings in the event of 
major  emergencies.  Vulnerabilities  of  those  fleeing  the  war  of  aggression  were  also 
considerably  reduced  by  the  activation  of  the  Temporary  Protection  Directive  which 
granted immediate protection and access to rights in the EU136. Based on a proposal from 
the Commission, the Council decided its prolongation until March 2026137. 

In 2022, Ukrainian nationals were the second most prevalent non-EU nationalities amongst 
victims of trafficking registered in the EU  (421 victims). 85% were subjected to labour 
exploitation and 13% to sexual exploitation. Member States and Europol confirmed that 
investigations  related  to  these  Ukrainian  victims  started  in  the  EU  already  before  the 
beginning of the full-scale war of aggression and/or are linked to victims already present 
in  the  EU.  However,  this  confirms  that  the  risk  of  trafficking  in  human  beings  for  the 
Ukrainian  nationals,  including  those  who  flee  the  full-scale  war  of  aggression,  remains 
high, has to be closely monitored by Europol with the support of Ukraine and requires the 
continuous implementation of the Common-Anti-Trafficking Plan. 

Operational cross-border cooperation with Ukraine was already enhanced with the support 
of EU agencies. In 2024, Ukraine participates in 19 EMPACT operation actions. In 2023, 
Europol coordinated a three-day Hackathon targeting online criminal activities involving 
Ukrainian  victims  and,  in  March  2024,  11  countries  launched  an  operational  task  force 
coordinated by Europol to fight sexual exploitation of Ukrainian women and girls in the 
EU. In May 2024, Europol supported the Spanish National Police in dismantling a criminal 
group involved in the trafficking of human beings for sexual exploitation. The suspects 
lured Ukrainian victims with promises to arrange for them  protection, financial support 
and work. 

During the reporting period, the Commission, together with the European External Action 
Service, continued engaging with other main countries of origin and transit of victims 
and  traffickers138  through  involvement  in  operational  actions,  policy  dialogues  and 
targeted  funding.  The  EU  Agencies  have  undertaken  capacity  building,  operational 
cooperation, and technical assistance in partner countries.  

 The  EU  funded  a  regional  programme  with  anti-trafficking  and  migrants  smuggling 
impact for EUR 36 million under IPA III in the Western Balkans. The EU contracted further 
around  EUR  84  million  under  the  Neighbourhood,  Development  and  International 
Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) 2021-2022 in order to address the growing involvement 

135 An Anti-Trafficking Plan to protect people fleeing the war in Ukraine - European Commission (europa.eu) 
136  Residency  rights,  access  to  the  labour  market,  accommodation,  social  welfare  assistance  and  other 
assistance. 
137 Ukrainian refugees: Council extends temporary protection until March 2026 - Consilium (europa.eu). 
138 Latin-America, Nigeria, China, Pakistan, Morocco, Bangladesh, Western Balkans, Türkiye, etc. 

20 

 
 
 
 
 
of organised crime groups in irregular migration, which leads to  an increasing threat of 
trafficking in human beings along migration routes, especially in the EU’s neighbourhood.  

Under the EU Trust Fund for Africa, the EU funded a regional programme worth EUR 15 
million  between  2019  and  July  2024  to  support  North African  countries  in  dismantling 
organized criminal networks involved in migrant smuggling and human trafficking. 

In  the  Horn  of Africa,  the  NDICI  is  currently  supporting  two  major  regional  projects 
tackling Trafficking and Smuggling, the Better Migration Management Project (BMM), 
the  cooperation  of  Law  Enforcement  Agencies, 
which  aims  at  strengthening 
border/immigration  officers  and  protection  service  providers.  Another  NDICI  funded 
programme  (EUR  5  million),  the  Regional  Operational  Centre  in  Khartoum  (ROCK), 
started its 2nd phase in 2022. It aims at reducing the number of incidents of trafficking in 
human  beings  and  smuggling  of  migrants  in  East  Africa,  and  enhancing  victims´ 
protection. On 7 May 2024 the Commission launched a new call for proposals which also 
defines the fight against trafficking in human beings as one of its objectives and earmarked 
EUR 15 million to set up common operational partnership projects (COPs) against migrant 
smuggling in third countries139.  

West Africa  remains  a  pivotal  origin  and  transit  region  for  migrants  making  irregular 
journeys  to  the  EU  through  the  Central  Mediterranean  Route  and  the Atlantic/Western 
Mediterranean Route. The EU is supporting Common Operational partnerships (COPs) to 
increase the ownership, impact and long-term sustainability of our partners’ efforts in Côte 
d’Ivoire,  Guinea,  Mauritania  and  The  Gambia  (notably  financed  under  ISF).  The  EU 
launched a migration partnership and dialogue with Mauritania on 7th March 2024, also 
covering trafficking and smuggling. In addition, the risks of criminal activities having an 
impact on development and security, in particular in most affected countries, are serious, 
posing an additional threat to the governance and stability in the entire region and beyond. 
In  this  context,  trafficking  and  smuggling  of  migrants  have  been  key  components  of 
Security programmes in Senegal, The Gambia and Mauritania.  

In  Asia,  the  successful  project  “Global  Action  against  Trafﬁcking  in  Persons  and  the 
Smuggling of Migrants - Asia and the Middle East - GLO.ACT”, ended in March 2024. 
One of the components of the PROTECT “Improving Migration Management & Migrant 
Protection in Selected Silk Route Countries” programme, implemented by the UNODC 
builds  on  the  success  and  lessons  learnt  of  GLO.ACT,  and  focuses  on  fight  against 
trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq.  

In  Latin  America  and  the  Caribbean,  the  EU  has  been  supporting  the  EUROFRONT 
Programme since 2020. The component on Trafficking in Human Beings and Smuggling 
of Migrants covers four border crossings involving seven countries in South America. In 
the near future, the goal is to implement the national action plans that resulted from the bi-
national and regional mechanisms in place, such as in Paraguay, in Brazil or in Ecuador. 
The EU also supports the EL PAcCTO programme against transnational organised crime 
and its specialised police cooperation networks , against human trafficking and smuggling.  

139 ISF-2024-TF2-AG-COP Call template updated version (europa.eu). 

21 

 
 
 
 
 
At the global level, the NDICI (EUR 5 million) is starting the Project “Promoting Action 
and Cooperation among countries at global level against Trafficking in Human Beings and 
the Smuggling of Migrants (PACTS)”. PACTS will support South-South cooperation, and 
has a strong survivor engagement component.     

Furthermore,  the  EU  continued  the  close  cooperation  with  international  and  regional 
organisations  active  in  the  area140,  including  in  the  context  of  the  Inter-Agency 
Coordination  Group  against  Trafficking  in  Persons  (ICAT).  It  also  carried  on  its 
engagement  with  the  Council  of  Europe  and  its  Group  of  Experts  on  Action  against 
Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA).  

At national level, Member States have contributed to strengthen the relations with third 
countries and international organisations including through awareness raising campaigns, 
training  (including  of  Consulates  staff),  operational  law  enforcement  and  judicial 
cooperation,  the  exchange  of  information  and  best  practices,  technical  assistance,  and 
targeted funding141. For instance,  Italy has established bilateral agreements or protocols 
with countries of origin or transit for victims of trafficking, notably Nigeria, Libya, and 
Egypt,  facilitating  direct  information  exchange.  The  National  Rapporteur  Office  in 
Portugal developed training sessions with the authorities of Tunisia during the period 2021-
2023.  

4.  CONCLUSIONS 

The  complexity  of  trafficking  in  human  beings  continues  to  require  a  comprehensive 
response, which involves a wide range of actors at national, European, and international 
level, demands adequate capacity and resources, as well as a well-functioning coordination 
mechanism.  

In  order  to  provide  adequate  legal,  operational  and  policy  responses,  the  EU  has 
reinforced  its  policies  to  combat  trafficking  in  human  beings.  The  EU  Strategy  on 
combatting  trafficking  in  human  beings  constitutes  a  robust  framework  with  concrete 
actions,  which  have  been  implemented  or  are  ongoing.  The  amended Anti-Trafficking 
Directive further strengthens the legal response to the crime, by introducing new forms of 
exploitation, stricter penalties, stronger rules to fight trafficking in human beings, including 
online,  as  well  as  reinforced  provisions  on  the  assistance  and  protection  of  victims. 
Furthermore, during the reporting period, the legal framework has also been substantially 
strengthened by numerous other new EU laws and instruments. 

At national  level,  Member States have taken measures  to  coordinate and intensify anti-
trafficking  measures,  including  through  new  or  updated  National  Action  Plans  and 
Strategies, which contribute to the comprehensive approach to combatting the crime.  

Despite progress in the legal, policy and operational framework, the number of registered 
victims of trafficking has increased and some of the known challenges persist, while new 
challenges  emerge,  including  new  forms  of  exploitation.  Moreover,  modifications  in 
trends  have  been  observed,  such  as  an  increase  of  labour  exploitation  and  forced 

140 the United National Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Organization for Migration 
(IOM),  the  UN  Refugee  Agency  (UNHCR),  the  International  Centre  for  Migration  Policy  Development 
(ICMPD) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). 
141  Denmark,  Estonia,  France,  Finland  Hungary,  Italy,  Ireland  Lithuania,  Malta,  Netherlands,  Poland, 
Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden and Spain.  

22 

 
 
 
 
 
criminality, trends also confirmed worldwide142, as well as changes in the citizenship of 
victims with a majority of non-EU citizens being victims of trafficking. These challenges 
require  an  immediate  response  to  break  the  business  model  of  traffickers.  The  most 
threatening  criminal  networks  are  involved  in  trafficking  in  human  beings  and  make 
huge  profits  through  trafficking  in  human  beings,  often  linked  to  other  criminal 
activities. Prosecutions and convictions remain low compared to the number of suspects, 
with  often  lenient  sentences  due  to  prosecution  of  offences  other  than  trafficking. 
Collection of evidence is time and resource intensive and often based solely on victims’ 
testimonies.  The  increasing  shift  to  the  online  dimension  continues  to  be  a  challenge, 
which could in the future be aggravated by artificial intelligence.  

The EU Anti-trafficking Hub will support the implementation of the Strategy and the legal 
provisions,  in  exchanging  best  practices,  in  fostering  dialogue  amongst  anti-trafficking 
professionals and in ensuring a better understanding of certain concepts, definitions and 
requirements.  

Building on the current Strategy, a new EU Strategy on combatting trafficking in human 
beings will contribute to addressing emerging challenges beyond 2025. This new Strategy 
will be the counterpart at EU level of the National anti-trafficking Plans that Member States 
have to adopt by 15 July 2028 in line with the amended Directive. The EU Strategy will 
help to steer the priorities from prevention to conviction with a victim-centred approach, 
across the EU, with non-EU partners and at global level in a coherent manner.  

142 2024 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 

23